Would it surprise you to learn that by using forest products (including paper), you are helping to increase the number of trees around us? Improve overall forest health? It’s not something we talk about as much as we should, but the use of paper and paper-based products has a positive impact on the environment. Here are three facts about paper and forests that many people don’t know:
- Using paper-based products preserves our forestland.
More than half (58%) of the forests in the United States are privately owned. Forest products provide landowners with a revenue stream. If they didn’t, those forests would be at risk of being sold for other revenue-producing uses, such as agriculture or development. By using paper, you are protecting forests for future use.
The net forest area in the United States grew by 18 million hectares between 1990 – 2020.
- Sustainable forestry makes forests healthier.
Many landowners (and nearly all U.S.-based paper mills) practice “sustainable forest management.” This isn’t just letting the trees grow for a while before cutting them down. This is the strategic management of the forest to maintain maximum health. Trees are carefully inspected and harvested on a cycle that promotes healthy forest growth, for example. Different species of trees are cut on a rotating basis, and trees at risk for a disease are culled. Riparian areas (waterways) are protected.
By using paper, you are not only promoting the expansion of our nation’s forests, but you are also encouraging them to be healthier.
- Paper promotes the protection and support of wildlife.
When forests are sustainably managed, they can be controlled in ways that support different types of wildlife. For example, a forest groomed to promote lush undergrowth will attract more deer and small game. A forest groomed to have more open areas will encourage the growth of certain grasses and bushes that draw different species of birds.
By using paper, you are helping to expand the biodiversity critical to the health of forests and the planet as a whole.
When marketing with print and paper, you are doing more than providing a beautiful product that your customers trust. You are investing in the future of our planet.
